Loupiac, Côtes de Bordeaux

Loupiac, Côtes de Bordeaux, Bordeaux Supérieur and Bordeaux Blanc
A l a in T hi é n ot , o w n e r
Loupiac, Côtes de Bordeaux
Bordeaux Supérieur et Bordeaux Blanc
Loupiac, Côtes de Bordeaux, Bordeaux Supérieur and Bordeaux Blanc
C H Â T E A U
D E
RICAUD
To the south of Bordeaux, near Cadillac, Château de Ricaud is one of a few, rare, natural locations that immediately encapsulates
the distinctive character of the terroir. The diversity and complexity of the soils found on this sloping vineyard offer an extensive
range of character and expression conducive to producing exceptional wines.
Seduced by the tremendous quality potential of the vineyard and the architectural beauty of the Château, Alain Thiénot purchased
the property in 1980, with the aim of maintaining Château de Ricaud as a benchmark in Loupiac wine and creating a Côtes de
Bordeaux wines to rank with the finest of the appellation.
2007 marks an important stage in this quest for outstanding quality, with one of the most impressive vineyard redevelopment
programmes undertaken in the Bordeaux region for the last 10 years.
The story of
Château de
Ricaud could
quite literally
commence by
“Once upon a
time…”
Once upon a time there
was an estate called
château de ricaud
Hidden from prying eyes by magnificent trees
dating back 300 years, Château de Ricaud
appeals to the imagination to such an extent
that its story could quite literally commence
with “Once upon a time…”
Discovering this neo-Gothic Château, inspired
by renovations to Château de Pierrefonds
carried out by Viollet-Le-Duc, is more than
enough to awaken the senses. It is almost
like taking a step back in time, reminiscent of
childhood and fairy-tales: then suddenly, caught
up in the magic of the visit, a file of fascinating
and intriguing small figures, gargoyles or other
characters from our wildest imagination, take
visitors completely by surprise.
In fact the name “Ricaud“ dates back to the
XVth century, when the Château, then known
as “Ricault” and owned by Chevalier Bernard
Lamensans, was elevated in status by Gaston
de Foix, the Captain of Guyenne. The original
Château was destroyed by the Dukes of
Eperon in 1650, during the Fronde civil war.
It only took on its definitive appearance in
1865, when Alphonse Blaquière, an architect,
remodelled it to its current neo-gothic style.
From 1882 to 1910,William Wells constructed
a vineyard spanning almost 30 hectares, to
which his son Maurice would devote his time to
revealing its true potential. The Loupiac wines
won various accolades in London, Brussels and
Paris and their reputation continued to grow.
After the death of Maurice Wells in 1954,
the property slowly lost its direction until its
purchase in 1980 by Alain Thiénot, who was
totally seduced by a bottle of Château de
Ricaud 1929, which he discovered in one of
Paris’ top restaurants.
A period of redevelopment thus followed,
culminating in 2007 with CVBG becoming
part of the Thiénot Group, bringing the
additional support of its team to manage one
of Bordeaux’s most ambitious redevelopment
plans of the last decade.
revealing a truly
great terroir
Set in the midst of a natural ampitheatre,
the vineyards at Château de Ricaud stretch
in a single block across some of the most
magnificent slopes in the region, which enjoy
natural drainage as well as perfect aspect.
To realise the full potential of the terroir, an
ambitious investment plan was launched in
2007. From the original 80 hectares of vines,
more than half (45 ha) have been grubbed up
and only 31 hectares have been replanted. A
highly detailed study of the soils and subsoils
was carried out, revealing a complex, diverse
terroir that is unique to the Cadillac appellation,
with 50 distinctive vineyard plots identified.
Plots less suited to cultivating vines have been
left to become prairies, with 14 ha of the 45 ha
grubbed up sacrificed in the name of quality!
Parallel to this, the remaining high quality
potential parcels can now express all their
majesty, reflecting the truest expression of the
grape variety and creating a range of wines of
the highest quality.To the North of the winery, at
“Lieu dit Les Quints“, the finest calcareous clay
parcels are interspersed with a deep vein of
clay, which serves as a natural source of water
to the vines. This terroir favouring early-ripening
is ideally suited to the production of Merlot,
which reveals great aromatic freshness.
At the North-Western and Eastern extremities
of the estate, there are 2 gravel terraces,
deposited by the nearby Garonne river during
severe floods at the end of the ice age. The
most compact gravels cover the Eastern slopes,
forming the magnificent cradle of Petit Verdot
which imparts colour intensity and complexity
that can only be found in the prestigious
terroirs of Médoc or Margaux.The finest gravels
characterise the western slopes hosting perfectly
ripe Cabernet Sauvignon.
Parcels of Sémillon have been planted at the foot
of the slopes or near to one of the streams or
forests to promote constantly moist conditions
conducive to the development of a microscopic
funghi known as Botrytis Cinerea, which is
essential for the creation of Loupiac wines.
Revealing the true potential of the terroir and
supporting this quest for excellence form the
basis of a new chapter at Château de Ricaud
…
SEEKING THE FINEST
FRUIT EXPRESSION
Viticulture has been completely reassessed, not only
to reveal the true potential of the terroir, but also to
guarantee optimum fruit quality. All the new vine
parcels have been replanted at a density of 6,900
vines/ha in order to favour quality and concentration
in the bunches rather than cropping levels. Frequent,
painstaking canopy management techniques have
been initiated throughout the year to optimise ripeness,
including bud-rubbing, shoot removal and leafplucking
twice (once in June on the side the sun rises to
protect the grape bunches from the intense sunshine
during the day, and once at the end of summer on
the side the sun sets to add the finishing touch to the
ripening process). The health of the vineyard has been
maintained using sustainable plant protection since
1995, so only essential treatments are carried out to
avoid destabilising the environment.
In addition, the winery at Château de Ricaud has
undergone various improvements to protect the quality
of the fruit.The stainless steel tankroom is now equipped
with temperature control on all the tanks, which are in
sufficient supply to vinify in small batches and retain
the individual character of the parcels. For improved
extraction of the tannins, wider 175hl tanks are the
preferred option (with a width/height ratio of 2 :1).
an exemplary loupiac, a
Côtes de Bordeaux to watch
Often considered as a benchmark since 1897, the
Loupiac produced at Château de Ricaud can hold its
head high when compared to its illustrious counterpart
Sauternes. Decidedly modern in style, the emphasis is on
aromatic intensity, floral rather than sweet in style, lively
and fresh on the palate.
The meticulous approach begins with the harvest, when
the grapes are picked by hand in two to three separate
sweeps through the vineyard. As Botrytis Cinerea reacts
differently from one grape to the next, only the grapes
affected by noble rot are picked at each successive
selection. The way the grapes are handled in the winery
is a natural progression from the vineyard. Vinification
takes place in oak barrels, with regular monitoring of
fermentation temperatures to obtain the perfect balance
of alcohol, sugar and acidity. Only the highest quality
batches will complete their aromatic transformation for
17 months in oak barrel.
The Côtes de Bordeaux wines provide the perfect
illustration of the transformation of Château de Ricaud.
The wines under this appellation reflect the most
complete expression of Merlot cultivated on calcareousclay soils, and Cabernet Sauvignon grown on gravel. The
ultimate recognition came in 2011 with the launch of
the “Grand Vin de Château de Ricaud“, a fine example
of elegance and distinction!
The “Réserve des Coteaux“ continues its relentless rise
to reach the ultimate heights of the appellation. One
cannot fail to note greater complexity and structure in
recent vintages, without compromising the rounded, fruity
character of previous vintages.
In 2007, a new history began : once upon a time there
was an estate called Château de Ricaud, a unique site
destined to create exceptional wines…
Technical specifications
Owner
Estate Manager
Château de Ricaud
Loupiac, Côtes de Bordeaux,
Bordeaux Supérieur, Bordeaux Blanc
Head of viticulture and winemaking
Area under vine
Soil profile
Château Garreau
Bordeaux Supérieur, Loupiac
Frédéric BONNAFFOUS
Bruno MARLET
47 ha in 2010, inc. 3 ha in Loupiac,
22 ha in Cadillac/ Côtes de Bordeaux, 15 ha in Bordeaux
Supérieur and 7 ha in Bordeaux Blanc.
to the North of the winery, calcareous-clay interspersed with a deep
vein of clay. 2 gravel terraces on the East and North-West slopes of
the vineyard.The vineyard is shaped like a natural ampitheatre.
Grape varieties
• Loupiac: from the 2009 vintage: 100% Sémillon.
Previous vintages: 85% Sémillon, 15% Sauvignon Blanc.
• Bordeaux Blanc: 70% Sémillon and 30% Sauvignon Blanc.
• Bordeaux Supérieur: 90% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3%
Cabernet Franc.
• Cadillac/ Côtes de Bordeaux: 87% Merlot, 9% Cabernet
Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot.
Planting density
5,500 vines per hectare (whites) ; 6,900 vines per hectare on
the 31 ha replanted in Cadillac/ Côtes de Bordeaux
Canopy Management
budrubbing and shoot removal, 1-2 leafpluckings (once at end of
June/ beginning of July on the side the sun rises; once end of August,
on the side the sun sets).
Harvesting
•White wines: picked by hand in 2-3 successive sweeps of the vineyard
• Red wines: by machine fitted with integrated destemmer separator.
Vinification
• Loupiac: fermentation in oak barrel (50% new 50% 6 months old)
• Red wines: traditional in separate batches in stainless steel,
temperature controlled tanks, cold pre-fermentation maceration for
certain batches.
Elevage
• Loupiac: 17 months in oak barrel (50% new 50% 6 months old)
• Bordeaux blanc: on the fine lees with regular stirring
• Cadillac/ Côtes de Bordeaux: 12 months in oak barrel
(1/3 new, 1/3 1 year old, 1/3 2 years old)
Second wine
Annual average
production
Château Garreau
• Cadillac/ Côtes de Bordeaux: 130,000 bt
• Loupiac: 10,000 – 20,000 bt
• Bordeaux Blanc: 8,000 - 10,000 bt
Château de Ricaud
Loupiac 2006
Château de Ricaud
Loupiac 2002
**2 stars (denotes a remarkable wine) “…
The 2006 is equally astonishing, revealing
intense aromas of honey, pâte de fruit and
botrytis, tinged with liquorice notes. This
complexity carries through to the supple,
elegant and concentrated palate, which
boasts a lengthy finish. Fleshy and silky,
this wine is delightful to drink now, while
displaying great ageing potential.”
* 1 star (denotes a great wine) “It may
not be the easiest Château in the world to
locate, nevertheless this neo-gothic Château
has all the potential to inspire anyone with
an interest in architecture. As to its wine,
the Château favours a more simplistic style,
finesse, subtlety, and most of all, balance...”
(Guide Hachette des Vins 2010)
Conception graphique www.poaplume.com // 2008
Alain THIENOT
Château de Ricaud
Loupiac 2003
* 1 star (denotes a great wine) “…well
balanced and well structured, its delicate
aromatic expression makes this a definitively
modern and interesting wine.”
(Guide Hachette des Vins 2007)
(Guide Hachette des Vins 2006)
(Wine Magazine, July/August 2008)
Château de Ricaud
Bordeaux Supérieur 2006
Château de Ricaud
Loupiac 2001
* 1 star (denotes a great wine) “…Bright
yellow straw colour, the 2001 vintage reveals
a more discreet aromatic expression, greater
elegance and powerful, yet well balanced
structure on the palate…”
(Guide Hachette des Vins 2005)
• Silver medal at the Concours de Bordeaux
Vins d’Aquitaine 2004
• Silver medal at the Challenge International du
Vin 2004
CHÂTEAU DE RICAUD
Route de Sauveterre
33 410 Loupiac
www.chateau-de-ricaud.com
• “ ...This dessert wine has nothing to be ashamed
of, even faced with the most accomplished
Sauternes. It was after all referred to as the
Yquem of the right bank in the thirties! A blend of
Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc, affected by noble
rot, Château de Ricaud reveals an exuberant
bouquet of ripe fruits, pineapple, stewed fruits,
zest of stewed lemon, grapefruit and honey, with
an attractive aromatic intensity…”
“…It is in these favourable conditions that
the 2006 vintage began life with its red
appearance and pale glints, fruit-driven and
slightly spicy bouquet and supple palate…”
(Guide Hachette des Vins 2010)
Château de Ricaud
Côtes de Bordeaux 2009
• Silver medal at the Concours Mondial de
Bruxelles 2011
Adresse commerciale :
Groupe CVBG
35 rue de Bordeaux (Parempuyre) - CS80004 - 33295 Blanquefort Cedex
Tél. +33 (0)5 56 35 53 00 / Fax +33 (0)5 56 35 53 29